[sims] Intouch Advice

[Cache]

Wonder if someone with experience of InTouch could provide some advice.

 

I've just taken over at a school which uses InTouch and noticed that the first time you open Intouch there is quite a lengthy delay before it actually opens up (30 - 90 seconds, normally near 30) which is quite understandably frustrating. I've only tried to use it once and it's annoying me already.

 

Before I start spending a lot of time looking in to this, is this normal for Intouch or do I need to do some investigating into it?

[PhilNeal]

There is a pause when calling it for the first time.

[PhilNeal]

Just a thought - have they moved to the VPN free implementation?

[Cache]

I have absolutely no idea if they've moved to the VPN free, I'll do a bit of investigating but no vpn was mentioned to me, only the SSM.

 

Sounds like if there is a pause then that could be it. My first impression was that I was disappointed if that's the case.

[cullingsh]

You and me both - it takes so long to load up a message. We moved to inTouch during May half term, and since that time, the number of messages I receive has dropped down considerably as people just email instead.

 

Prior to inTouch every worked much, much quicker.

[PhilNeal]

InTouch should not be slowing SIMS down unless your server is at the limits. There is a slight pause when InTouch is first called on a machine but thereafter it should be instant. If you are experiencing performance issues then please raise a case.

[Cache]

Well from my very limited (one use of it) I'd agree with @cullingsh about it. Having to wait 30 - 90 seconds for it to load the first time I'm on InTouch in SIMS on the machine each day would annoy the hell out of me where as I could do the same with an email probably quicker. I can understand a large drop in usage if someone is moving around the school to different machines moving from an instant SIMS messaging system to one with a large pause and you can't use other parts of SIMS while it's loading.

 

I will investigate further though when I get chance later on this week.

[PhilNeal]

So on our machines the pause is nothing like 30 seconds - 10 at the most.

[cullingsh]

SIMS isn't slow, and the server has heaps of memory, space and enough processors, and runs at low cpu usage most of the day. It's just inTouch.

 

We have cases raised, but as yet no solution. We have an uninstall patch which may get applied depending how it is after SIMS summer release is installed.

 

We'll see how it goes.

[PhilNeal]

@cullingsh - thanks for info. Please drop me a line if the issue persists [email protected] and I will look into this.

[IrritableTech]

Just timed it on my machine. 16 seconds for the first start. Although we can live with that - it does feel like it shouldn't really take that long.

 

It's on par with the other schools I've discussed it with.

[linkazoid]

It takes 22-24 seconds here.

 

Like others, our SIMS server still has GBs of RAM and CPU resources free whilst testing.

[Cache]

Is there a setup/configuration guide available for Intouch?

 

I've found one spurious setting whcih I'm not convinced is right but not knowing what the configuration should be I don't know (It's the sending and retrieving email server). I'm also not 100% sure how I can check if we're using the VPN solution or not? It seems to update using SIMS Service Manager, can I take it that that is therefore the case? I found one guide on My Account which mentions various fields relating to server farms, but I can't see those configuration options anywhere....

[PhilNeal]

Documentation for SSM can be found on MyAccount by searching for RESOURCEID-1-2662

 

(BTW all documentation is available from within SIMS in document centre along with videos etc)

[Cache]

Right back on to this.

@PhilNeal - if the OpenVPN service is still running and still connected, is that likely to mean that we are still using the VPN Service?

 

Who is the best person to speak to about it or how can I move to VPN free?

[Marshall_IT]

Right back on to this.

@PhilNeal - if the OpenVPN service is still running and still connected, is that likely to mean that we are still using the VPN Service?

 

Who is the best person to speak to about it or how can I move to VPN free?

 

When we were upgraded to SSM they didn't remove the VPN service and it still runs and connects. I assumed it was left in place as a fall back or something.

[Cache]

I have a DNS entry of 10.8.106.x in my DNS for the SIMS server which I can only assume is for Intouch and wondering if that is causing some of the problems I'm having with the slowdown - do you have a similar entry?

[Marshall_IT]

I have a DNS entry of 10.8.106.x in my DNS for the SIMS server which I can only assume is for Intouch and wondering if that is causing some of the problems I'm having with the slowdown - do you have a similar entry?

 

I don't have anything like that in my main DNS.

[Cache]

Hmmmm, I'll remove it and experiment then...

[PhilNeal]

I'd be grateful for a steer on what our release notes are missing. I thought we'd detailed fairly throughly the changes that have been implemented?

[Cache]

Personally, I've taken over 5 weeks or so ago, have knowledge of the core SIMS system, its configuration and setup but haven't used in touch until I started here.

 

I only have a rough idea of where intouch started and where its gone from release notes and documentation but none of it seems to explain the process in touch uses for connecting and sending messages which is where I'm stumped. Using SSM does that make the VPN redundant?

 

I'll call the service desk, but with other things I'm addressing I keep only coming back to it fleetingly because I want to understand how it works.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Cache

[Marshall_IT]

Yes, SSM is the replacement for the VPN and for me at least it's much more reliable.

[cullingsh]

From memory, the random 10.8.106.x address is what the OpenVPN uses, we use SLG and it's how our SIMS talks to SLG (and vice-versa).

 

After much ado and remote sessions with Capita, a re-install of InTouch and being told that yes, it does take a while to first launch when SIMS is opened the decisions was made to uninstall it and revert back to the inbuilt alerts.

 

Our staff are potentially moving around 5 times a day, and we certainly discourage SIMS from being left open, so every time they want to read/send a message it is taking ages to load. Just not acceptable, when the inbuilt system works instantly.